Trailers are towed vehicles that are operably secured to a towing vehicle, usually at a hitch or the like. One type of trailer in common use is known as a travel trailer, which is a towed vehicle usually having many of the conveniences of a home. A particularly popular travel trailer is known as a “fifth-wheel” trailer, which is adapted to be towed by a traditional pick-up truck. Namely, the forward portion of the fifth-wheel trailer is elevated above the bed of the pick-up truck and includes a mounting portion, or tongue, extending from the bottom of the elevated forward portion to a trailer mount, or hitch, secured to the bed of the pick-up truck.
Usually, the distal end of the tongue is usually pivotally secured to the hitch so that the towing vehicle and trailer can pivot with respect to each other about a defined pivot axis. This arrangement allows the towing vehicle and trailer to each have a turn radius that is sufficiently small so that both the towing vehicle and trailer can complete most turns found on conventional roads and the like. Preferably, the tongue is also detachably secured to the hitch so that the trailer may be easily attached and detached from the hitch.
Despite the benefits offered by conventional trailer tongues and hitches, they have several drawbacks. For example, the sole connection between the towing vehicle and trailer is at the pivot. Accordingly, all the pulling and braking forces offered by the towing vehicle are transferred to the trailer at this one location. Similarly, all forces generated by the trailer are transferred to the towing vehicle at this one location. This single point of connection at the pivot places enormous stress on the hitch and tongue, and can cause uneven weight and force distribution between the trailer and towed vehicle during some transient conditions, such as during acceleration and braking of the towing vehicle.
Efforts to improve the weight distribution and stabilization between a tongue & ball-type trailer and its towing vehicle have had limited success. For example, some trailer hitch manufacturers sell a product know as “sway control bars” that extend between the tongue of the trailer and ball on the towing vehicle to dampen side-to-side movement about the pivot. However, these structures also tend to limit the range of motion of the trailer about the pivot, thereby compromising the turn radius of the trailer and towing vehicle. Moreover, such structures are not adaptable for use with fifth-wheel trailers, where the tongue of the trailer connects to a trailer hitch resting in the bed of a pick-up truck-style towing vehicle.